Confession

The season of Lent provides those of us in the Church a great opportunity to reflect, not only on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also on our sinfulness that necessitated such a sacrifice. It is a time for self-reflection, a time for drawing closer to God through the practices of fasting, prayer, and acts of mercy. It is difficult to talk about things like sorrow, sin, repentance, and the like, but there is more to the Lenten season than guilt; there is also an opportunity to receive the peace of Christ.

Confession

1 John 1:9 tells us that ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (NIV) This is a promise of God to his children, and one that we should cling to tightly. But what exactly does it mean to confess our sins? Does it simply mean to tell someone about the things we feel guilt for? Is it the act of visiting a pastor or parish priest and telling them about the last time you sinned? Or is it something more?

I am indebted to my pastor for pointing out in his sermon yesterday that the Greek word ὁμολογῶμεν (homologōmen), which is used in the verse above to convey the idea of confession more literally means ‘we should agree in [our] word(s)’. So, when we confess our sins, what we are doing is not rattling off a list of things that we think we should be sorry for, rather we are agreeing with the word of God what are our sins.  Instead of making a list of things we think we should bring before God in repentance, we should be asking God to show us where any wickedness remains in us.

Psalm 139:23-24 says ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’

This is a call for God to search out the sin that remains in us and bring us to agree with him (confess) that we are indeed guilty of these transgressions. Only then can we experience true freedom.

And here is the best part. As 1 John tells us, when we agree with God about our sins and repent, ‘he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.‘ He brings about our reconciliation with himself, the result of which is peace, even the peace of Christ.

I have experienced no greater joy in life than when praying to God that he will root out any remaining sin in me, and receiving the following from him: ‘You are mine! You belong to me. And I delight in you.’ This peace and confirmation comes through confession, through continually seeking the face of God, through becoming less that he might make me more.

I urge you to carve out time this Lenten season to reflect on your life and to ask God to root out any sin that remains in you, to confess (agree with him) about the things he shows you, to repent of your wickedness, and to seek the peace of Christ that comes from knowing you are a child of God and he delights in you.

 

The Mental Gymnastics of Open Theism

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I don’t think I’ve written about Open theism or Process Theology on this blog previously, but I have long been a staunch opponent to the views expressed in these paradigms for reason that I may attempt to lay out here in the near future. Today, at the annual meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society, I listened to a paper on Open Theism and whether or not it necessitates an inclusivist view of salvation. In other words, are Open Theists universalists?

I don’t have the power of recollection necessary to do the presenter justice in rehashing the content of the paper, so I won’t try to summarize the argument here. However, I do have one bone to pick with something said in the conclusion. The author stated that it is impossible to posit that a God who has foreknowledge could possibly desire that all people should be saved and yet not intend to save them. Therefore, since Scripture says that God wishes all should be saved, he cannot possible be all-knowing (his knowledge is restricted to determined events), since we also know from Scripture that not all will be saved.

If this sounds like mental gymnastics at work, you are not alone. There are so many problems with the Open Theistic position that I can’t possibly lay them all out here, so let’s begin with the above statement. I believe this statement is grounded on a logical fallacy built upon insufficient definitions of desire and intention, and a deterministic view of foreknowledge.

Let me explain, if I can. It is a logically fallacy to suggest that the act of desiring something necessarily leads to the intention to follow through on said desire. When I raised my objections during the Q & A period following the presentation, I used a somewhat crass, yet effective, (I think) illustration: I desire to eat cake for lunch, but because I am diabetic, I do not intend to act on this desire and eat any cake. In the same way, it is logical to say that a loving God desires that all humans should be saved, and yet because he is also just, does not intend to act on that desire and save all people, since not all will repent of sin and trust in Christ.

The second issue surrounding this topic is the way in which this scholar defined his terms. He suggested that a desire is something which must be acted upon, because to do otherwise would be “foolish” – in essence, it would be wishful thinking. Since God is perfectly wise, it is illogical to suggest that God has desires which he cannot (or will not) fulfill.

I almost don’t know where to begin with this one. First of all, no ordinary person would hold to such a definition of desire, which by its common usage suggests something that has not yet been acted upon, or realized. Scripture continually commands those who follow Christ to put to death the desires of the flesh. If humans are expected to not act on desires, how then can we posit that God is incapable of the same? This is ludicrous.

The third problem with the conclusion of this presentation is the suggestion that foreknowledge is necessarily causal. Under this model, if God knows that something will happen he is in effect causing it to happen. This not only negates the possibility of free agency for human persons (something which, ironically, leads Open Theists to reject God’s exhaustive foreknowledge), but it is simply not logical. That God knows I will make a particular choice does not in any way affect that choice, or cause it to come about. It simply doesn’t make sense, anymore than it makes sense for me to say that because I know the sun will rise in the morning, I will make it do so.

As I said before, the problems with Open Theism and Process Theology are many and varied, but the implications largely come back to one thing. They seek to limit God’s knowledge (and by association power, sovereignty, and goodness) by way of anthropomorphic ascriptions that are both unsupported by Scripture and illogical to anyone willing to think through the full implications.

Of course, when I raised these objections in the session, the ultimate response from the author was simply, “I disagree”. I guess there’s really no arguing with that.

*UPDATE*

The day following the initial posting of this blog article, the author of the paper in question approached me and told me that he had been thinking about the issues I raised, and that he had misunderstood me (at least in part). He then explained that he thought I was getting at the problem of competing desires. This is not what I was getting at, but since it raised yet another problem with his conclusions, I suggested that was a good starting point for talking about this.

Essentially, the idea of competing desires shows that it is a logically incoherent to suggest that a desire necessitates intention, since it is possible to have conflicting desires. If one has conflicting desires, it is not possible to intend to act of both simultaneously. It creates a paradox.

It was nice to hear the author concede that there are some serious logical flaws to his initial argument, but the bigger problem that hasn’t yet been discussed is that all of this speculation ultimately distracts us from the Great Commision and leads people to doubt whether or not God truly is all-knowing and all-powerful, and whether or not he truly has the power to save all those who call upon the name of his son, Jesus Christ.

Abundant Life

This morning our Internet connection went down at home. Fifteen years ago, this phrase wouldn’t have even made sense. Today, it spells catastrophe for someone like myself, who works remotely and “needs” the Internet to get things done and get paid. So, like many other freelance web developers in the U.S., I packed up my laptop and other gear, hopped in the car, and began my morning commute to the local Starbucks for a refreshing cup (or 3) of my favorite coffee and access to their free WiFi connection.

As I was leaving our tiny town, I heard a sudden cacophony of sirens blasting through the crisp morning air. I then watched as (at least) two ambulances, a fire truck, and three police cars came screaming past me with their lights flashing, and headed straight for the center of town.

Over the years, Sarah and I have developed the habit of praying every time we see emergency workers with their lights on. We never know where they are headed to or from, but we know that the work they do is vital and dangerous. Since we can do nothing to help them physically, we pray. We pray for safety for the workers and whomever they have been sent to help. We pray that those involved who don’t know the Lord will have a chance to meet and respond with faith to Jesus’ offer of forgiveness from sin.

And lately, I have begun to pray a simple benediction: “Heavenly Father, preserve life.” I’m not sure why I started adding this little phrase to the end of my prayer for emergency workers. In fact, I haven’t really given it a great deal of thought, until this morning.

As I was praying for the host of police, EMTs, and firemen headed to the scene in Wilmore today, and breathed those final words and an “Amen”, I was suddenly flooded with emotion at the thought that followed. Hear these words…

God is not in the business of preserving temporal life, He is in the business of creating new, abundant, eternal life.

Now hear me correctly when I say this. I am not saying that God does not care about our physical well-being. He most certainly does. How do I know this? Two reasons come immediately to mind.

First, Genesis tells us that God created humanity in his image and likeness. He created us to rule over the earth and its creatures. And when he was finished creating us, God blessed humanity and saw that what he had made was “very good” (Genesis 1:26-31). We are created in the very image of God, which makes us of inestimable worth, not just as souls, but as whole people, body and soul.

Second, Jesus’ earthly ministry was a two-fold ministry of healing and restoration. He miraculously healed physical illnesses and demon possessions, restoring physical and mental well-being, as well as restoring relationships between those who were afflicted and their families and communities. In the second part of his ministry, his death and resurrection, Jesus healed humanity from the effects of sin and restored our relationships with one another and with God.

So, when I say that God is not in the business of preserving temporal life, I don’t mean that he doesn’t care about our physical lives. What I mean is that His business is far grander. He came to give life abundantly . . .

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. he will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:7-10)

The Son of God became a man, Jesus of Nazareth, in order to fulfill a life-giving mission. As we saw in Genesis, God is the creator of all life. What we learn in the New Testament is that the work of creation was mediated through the Son.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God int he beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)

The Word is the Third Person of the Trinity, the Son of God, who became Jesus. With the Incarnation the very creator of life became a man; the source of life, life himself became human.

But why would God do this? Surely he wouldn’t go to such lengths in order to simply “preserve” life as we have known it since the garden of Eden. I mean, he is God, right? If he wants to save a person’s life, he just has to will it.

Remember when I said that God’s plans were far grander than this? Jesus Christ didn’t just come to heal the sick and drive out demons, but also to heal humanity from the effects of sin and give us New Life. Only he could do this, because “in him was life”. Through his willing death on the cross, Jesus bridged the gap between God and people that was caused by sin. He laid down his life for ours (John 10:15).

Now, this seems like a pretty crummy trade from my point of view. Why would God himself give up his life, the source of all life, for dead and dying people in a dead and dying world?

Because death doesn’t have the last word.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25) You see, Jesus conquered death through death, and breathed his life, life itself, into dead and dying humanity, so that we too might have that life in us. And we know this is true, because God raised Jesus from the dead. If he is alive, then we can be alive through him. Really ALIVE!!!

Where sin reigns, death follows. Christ has overcome death through the Cross, so that we newly minted humans can experience abundant life, freed from the power of sin and death, for all eternity.

Have you experienced this newness of life for yourself? Do you know that you are made in the very image of God? Do you know that you are of inestimable worth? Do you recognize that you are no longer under the power of sin and death?

Hear the words of Paul to the Romans, and to us: “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness…now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:13-14; 22-23)

God is not primarily in the business of preserving life, he is in the business of creating new life. Jesus offers this gift of abundant and eternal life to each of us.

Will you receive it?

When Burnout Becomes a Broken Promise

My daughter (5) has been learning a tremendous amount in kindergarten this year. It has been amazing to watch her grow, and I am so proud of my little girl. What has surprised me most about her year so far is the amount of time that her teachers spend teaching the kids about proper behavior. Along with reading, math, and all the normal subjects, the kids are also learning how to interact with one another in a civilized manner and to ‘stop and think’ before they act.

One of my favorite things that her teacher has mentioned to us in parent meetings is the way she deals with discipline in the classroom. The children are taught from day one that there are two types of problems: small problems and big problems.  A small problem might be that one child is using a toy that another child wants to use, or a child ‘cutting’ in line. A big problem would be when a child gets sick, has an accident, or hurts another child.  But the teacher also talks about allowing a small problem to become a big problem, such as when a child who has been cut in line retaliates by pushing, hitting, or throwing a fit.

Our daughter’s teacher allows the children to solve small problems for themselves, teaching them to be self-reliant and learn to reason through problems together. When a problem becomes a big problem, though, the teacher immediately steps in.

I have come to discover that kindergarten teachers can teach us a lot about the way that God relates to his children as a loving Father.

This summer has, quite frankly, been a very tough one for me. I traveled to Manchester, England in June for my annual research trip. During my stay I worked an average of 12-14 hours in the library, researching and writing a paper on Christology in the Hymns of John Wesley, and preparing for my academic review.  For the six months leading up to this trip, my days were consumed with work on one of my thesis chapters and transitions happening at my ‘day job’. By the time I came home from England I had developed both a sense of accomplishment for all that I achieved during the spring term and my summer trip, and also a profound sense of burnout.  I was simply exhausted, mentally.

I thought that I would take a couple of weeks off of my research to overcome my mental fatigue, and then jump right back in where I left off.  I have rarely been so profoundly wrong.

Shortly after returning home I had to begin looking for new work, as my current contract is coming to a close soon.  I began taking on some additional side projects to ‘make up’ for any time that I might not be employed as I am looking for new work. I began spending research time applying for jobs and brushing up on my skill set.  In essence, I began finding things to do that would fill my time. That way, I had a legitimate excuse for not getting research done. In all honesty, it has taken me until just a couple of weeks ago to recover to the point that I am able to think about doing research without getting a headache. Even then, I was still making excuses rather than putting in solid study time.

It is not uncommon to experience momentary periods of burnout while doing research.  Think about it. A PhD student spends YEARS of his/her life writing what amounts to a very long paper about a very detailed subject, which very few people will care to read (at least until it is rewritten for publication).

However, there comes a tipping point when temporary burnout goes from being a small problem to a big one. When burnout becomes a broken promise.

I never considered my bout of burnout to be anything but a minor issue that I would overcome in time. I never expected it to spiral out of control in any way. I had it under control, you see. And then my pastor made a comment in his Sunday sermon on Jeremiah 2:2-9 that caused my world of self-reliance to come crashing down around my ears.

He said that if we are not careful, if we do not rely upon God as our source of strength, “time and cost will whittle down your promise to God.”

When the pastor spoke those words, they hit me like a ton of bricks.  I had allowed the time and cost of a research degree to get in the way of keeping my promise to Him, that I would go where he leads our family, no matter the sacrifice. In other words, what started out as a small problem had very quickly morphed into a big problem.  My burnout was threatening to become a broken promise.

And then God spoke to my heart. He reminded me that, when I begin to believe that I can deal with the small problems of life on my own, they very quickly grow into big problems. Fortunately, like a good kindergarten teacher, my Father in heaven takes control when the problem starts to grow. While I could choose to refuse his help and allow a big problem to get even bigger, I have come to trust Him over the years. You see, He has never failed me. He has never left me alone to my self-destructive ends. He is a God who loves me, who has rescued me, and I have come to love and trust Him deeply in return.

And so I have turned to God in my time of need. By his power my burnout has not become a broken promise. For the first time in more than two months, I am energized and excited about my research, I am looking forward to the plans that he has for our family, and I am profoundly grateful for God’s abundant blessings and grace.

Do you have a small problem that you are trying to conquer on your own? Is your small problem threatening to become a big problem? Has it already become a big problem?

Our society would tell us that self-reliance is a virtue. I say that our society is aligned with the father of lies.  God calls us out of sinful self-reliance into the freedom that can only be lived with the help of the Holy Spirit. He calls us to cross over from death to life in the name of his only begotten Son, Jesus, who died that we might become children of the Almighty God.

So I urge you not to go back to your self-reliant ways once you have tasted freedom. Give all of your small problems over to God the Father, who loves you, before they become big problems from which you need to be rescued once again.

Are You Too Content?

As a father of two (5 & almost 3), I find myself regularly reminding my children that they should be thankful for and content with what they have, not always looking for the ‘next thing’. In my daughter’s case, this particularly means not looking toward the next sugar fix, when she is already actively eating a piece of candy. Happiness, after all, is not to be found in things or activities, but in God himself, right?

If we are to be good Christians, we should just be content. Isn’t that what we are often told in church?

Yet, while the source of all our hope and joy and love and fulfillment should be God as he has been revealed in Jesus and witnessed to by the Holy Spirit, is recognition of God as the ‘source’ off goodness and happiness all that we as Christians should desire? Is it wrong to seek for more than contentedness in our knowledge of God, even our experiences of Him?

Or are we in danger of becoming too content?

Let me explain by way of an illustration from the Hopper Household last night. Our son will turn 3 in just a few days, and for pretty much the whole of this last year he has refused to eat any food that is a) not chicken nuggets, b) not crackers or c) not sugar. After thinking about this for quite some time, I made the executive decision last night that it is time for him to try something new. I took my stand with one of Sarah’s favorite dishes – chicken and dumplings.

Now, this particular dish is not very nutritious. I wold much rather have him eat a green bean or some broccoli, but I’m picking my battles carefully, and I thought 1) it isn’t a weird color, 2) it isn’t a vegetable, 3) Sarah likes it so it must not be too spicy, and 4) Its what I made, and I am tired of making multiple meals each night for dinner.

While all of these reasons made the choice rational in my mind, none of them accounted for the fact that my son would take one look at it and immediately throw a fit. Nonetheless, I was resolved, so Sarah and I calmed him down then offered him a compromise, since this was a foray into new and scary things for him. The compromise was simple, and completely loaded in his favor:

“Take one tiny bite of a dumpling, and if you don’t like it I will make you something else that you want.”

Simple, right? I mean, I could eat pretty much anything if I knew I only had to take one tiny nibble. Especially if it means getting anything I want to ea afterward. To the mind of a nearly-three-year-old, however, I might as well have declared war. I had declared my intentions, and he was going to stand and fight to the death.

After a 45 minute battle with increasing threats by me about what would happen to him if he didn’t take a bite (no other food, no desert, no movie before bed, early bedtime) he still refused to take a bite of dumpling, so there was only one thing left to do. Give in. PSYCHE! We followed through. We gave him a bath and put him straight to bed, all the while letting him know that he could change the course of his near future by simply taking a bite of dumpling.  He never gave in. He chose to go straight to bed with no dinner than take a bite of something new.

Fast forward to this morning. When I got out of bed, he wasn’t feeling good. In fact, he was sick to his stomach. Since he hadn’t eaten dinner the night before, and probably didn’t eat lunch at school (he is finicky there too), I said to Sarah that he was probably just really hungry.

When I said this, he turned to look at me, folded his little arms over his chest in a defiant manner, smiled broadly, and said, “I still didn’t eat a dumpling.”

Having lost his chicken nuggets, his desert, his play time, his before-bed cartoon, and gaining a sick tummy, he believed he was still victorious. He was content. He was so satisfied with his position that he couldn’t conceive of the good things I had prepared for him.

Isn’t this how we sometimes react to God when he offers us something more? Now, when I say “more” I’m not talking about more things, or more money, or more time.  I am talking quality, not quantity. How often have you or I rejected the notion that we can be better than what we are now, emphasizing that simply knowing Jesus is enough? How often have you or I stayed home and watched TV instead of getting involved in mission or service or WORSHIP, all the while making a mental note that it doesn’t matter anyway, because we ‘made a decision’ to follow Jesus?

Are you and I content with the bare minimum of calling Jesus Lord and asking him to save us?

In the person of Jesus Christ, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, in order to reconcile all things to himself (Col 1:19-20). God was not content to leave things as they were. Why are we so anxious to do so, when God has promised us so much more?

Christians are called by God to be a holy people. We are called to live lives that reflect the love of God shed abroad in our hearts. We are promised that when we turn over all that we have to God’s authority, he will make us new creatures, capable of such love and holiness.  Only when we allow God to work in us to create new life can we truly love others as he intends.
Do you want to truly live, experiencing genuine hope and freedom from sin? Seek Jesus!
Do you want to have an impact on the world? Surrender your will to Him!
Do you want to see lives transformed by God’s love shed abroad in you? Seek your own transformation!
Do you want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”? Seek holiness!

Are you content with calling Jesus Lord, or are you ready to bend the knee to his authority? Are you content with the idea that you are safe from hell, or do you desire to see the whole world saved? Are you content with living as a saved sinner, or are you ready to become a loving, obedient child of the Living God?

Are you ready to experience the fullness of a life lived in Christ?

Or are you, even now, folding your arms across your chest, smiling broadly, and saying, “I still won’t eat the dumpling”?

Sunshine and Roses

While working as an Academic Advisor at Asbury Theological Seminary I regularly met with new M.Div or MA students who professed their desire to continue in their academic careers to the point of earning a PhD or equivalent terminal degree.  Most wanted to do so out of a desire to teach, though some were certainly more interested in research oriented vocations.  It was my job to help them to achieve their academic goals by helping them to plan out the most effective degree path at the seminary.  As a PhD student myself (theology – University of Manchester), I was able to speak with them about the real challenges of applying for (and getting accepted into) a reputable program, as well as the work that it takes to remain in the program.  I was also able to talk with them about the differences between research and taught programs, working over seas versus staying in the U.S., and the availability of funding for various programs.

At that time, I was still very new to my own research program.  The information that I provided to students considering an academic career path was sound and accurate, but it was far from complete.  I have learned a lot about what it takes to earn a PhD since I last worked at the seminary.  I have learned that, while planning and dedication may help you get into a program, it takes an entirely different set of skills to finish what one has started.  There are a plethora of ABD (all but dissertation) PhDers out in the world.  The opportunities to quit before the end abound.  The challenges often seem insurmountable.  And many times, the end does not justify the means.  It is up to each student to decide when enough is enough.

Yet despite the many challenges, day after day, I and many other students continue the long march toward the finish line.  It is this march, and its ramifications, that were lacking from my earlier conversations with PhD hopefuls.  It is this march that is perhaps the most important part of the whole story, because it is this march that tests the character of one who would become a teacher of others.  If I could go back and add something about the ‘experience’ of earning a PhD to the conversations that I had with those students, this is what I would say.

‘It ain’t all sunshine and roses.’

Getting a PhD requires the FULL support of family

While this may sound like an obvious statement, I’m not sure the vast majority of the students I spoke with as an Advisor really understood the impact that such an undertaking will have on a family.  I am truly blessed in at least one regard.  My wife, Sarah, has always been my #1 supporter, cheerleader, and fan.  She has supported me in every undertaking since I have known her, whether professional, personal, or academic.  She was 100% behind me when I decided to enroll in seminary (indeed, without her complete support I never would have attempted it, nor should you without the support of your spouse), she was 100% in favor of my pursuing a PhD, she has been 100% supportive of my decision to drop to part-time work in order to devote more time to research, and she has been 100% behind me as I seek to more fully understand God’s call on our lives and as I continue to wrestle with following His son, Jesus.  All of these decisions have affected her in profound ways, and she has never flinched in her support.

In addition to my wife’s loving dedication, I am blessed with the continued support of my extended family.  I am fortunate to have parents and a brother who love the Lord and understand what it means to take a path that appears foolish to the world.  They believe in me so much that they have supported us regularly with their prayer, presence, and finances.

My in-laws have been tremendous supporters as well.  Though they may not fully understand some of the decisions that Sarah and I make for our family (like leaving a well-paying job to move to a tiny town in Kentucky and enter grad school), they love us and back us up each time.  And they are some of the most giving people I have ever known.  Our children are fortunate to have such wonderful grandparents (on both sides) as living examples of God’s grace.

Getting a PhD means learning to rely on loved-ones for support.  This is most definitely prayer support, but often this support must take physical form as well.  When you enter a long-term research program, you are not the only one getting the degree.  You see, your family is in it with you, whether they want to be or not.  So I would suggest that you only undertake such a task if they have willingly agreed to get a PhD with you.

Getting a PhD requires self-sacrifice and family sacrifice

The reason for this, of course, is that getting a PhD requires a great deal of sacrifice.  On the self-sacrificial side of the equation, a research (or taught) degree takes a tremendous amount of time and energy.  If you think writing a 30 page paper at the Master level takes effort, just think about the sustained energy and time required to write a full doctoral thesis, which is essentially an academic book based on original research that contributes significantly to a chosen field.  Every page that I write takes weeks of dedicated research, and might get rewritten a dozen times before it reaches its final form.  Even then, it might ultimately get scrapped if it proves unnecessary to the project.

All of this research, writing, editing, rewriting, and re-editing takes time.  Since there are only so many hours in the day, this means that you will be sacrificing either 1) time earning a living, 2) time with your family, or 3) sleep.  Since none of us can function long without #3, most of the time required to complete a PhD comes from #1 and #2.  If you are not fully funded (as I am not), this means that you will have to make some serious sacrifices in order to complete your degree.  And these sacrifices are always shared by your family.

I decided early on (well, late in my seminary degree) that I am unwilling to sacrifice more time with my family than is absolutely necessary to complete my research.  At the end of the day, a PhD is a piece of paper.  Yes, it comes with some great perks, but when I finally go to be with Jesus, I want my wife and kids to remember me as a loving husband and father, not as a workaholic who was never at home to play with them.

Even though I made this decision early, our family still has to sacrifice time together in pursuit of the PhD.  I travel to England and to conferences in the U.S. on a regular basis, both for research and professional development.  When I have a deadline to meet, I spend evenings out studying until the work is done, and sometimes I have to say no to fun family events in order to complete my work.  Even when I am home, I run the constant risk of being either distracted by something I was reading earlier in the day or exhausted from the mental task of research.  Every single moment of quality time that I miss with my wife and kids impacts us all negatively.

And we haven’t even begun to talk about the financial sacrifice.  You have no doubt heard people talk of putting their lives on hold for grad school.  I disagree that this occurs to a great degree.  The best parts of my life have occurred while in grade school (i.e. my wonderful marriage to Sarah continuing and the birth of my two children).  However, there are some things that must be paused in order to follow this path.  I gave up a promising career in the tech industry and the accompanying pay check to work part-time for part-time wages for most of the last 7 years, any hope of owning our own home, the security of a full bank account, and the choice of where we live.  If not for the generosity of our families, and some much loved donors, we would never have made it this far.  Even once we are finished, we will have a long row to hoe in making up for lost opportunity.

While each of thee things certainly affects me (and my family) in profound ways, our solidarity and reliance upon God for all that we have (since all good things come from Him) carries us through.  But there are other burdens that, while they may affect family in a secondary way, are the sole burden of the PhD student.

Getting a PhD requires long hours of solitude

If you are a highly social extrovert, these next words will hurt.  They will cut deep.  You see, getting a PhD is not like other degrees.  Even with a taught program, where classwork is still required before writing a thesis, much more emphasis is placed on individual achievement, which means a lot of time spent working on things alone.  When it comes to a research degree like the one I am in ALL of the work is completed in solitude.

On average, I spend 4 hours each day working on research alone.  In addition to this I occasionally spend evenings alone while I write.  I also work in an office with only one other person, and am about to begin working from home as our office goes through a move.  This means that I am effectively alone for 9-12 hours a day.  I am an extrovert.  Let me tell you, this is difficult sometimes.

Even if you love books and love to do research, as I do, the constant solitude will get to you.  For this reason, some of my colleagues and I have scheduled a monthly seminar where we get together to discuss our research and ‘hang out’.  But one meeting in a month doesn’t begin to make up for all of those endless days of solitude.

For those of the introverted persuasion, the idea of spending hours alone might sound awesome.  But I would caution you as well.  Do your friends and family think you are weird now?  Do they say you lack social graces?  Just imagine how you’ll be after several years of near solitude.

If you plan to embark upon a PhD, please please make arrangements to spend time with normal people on a regular basis.  Your family and friends will thank you, and it might just keep you from going insane.

Getting a PhD may lead to depression and anxiety

Grad students in general learn to deal with heightened amounts of stress as they cram for exams and hurry to write papers on a regular basis.  I would love to say that four years in a Master’s program will prepare you for the stress of chapter deadlines and editing schedules, but I would be lying.  When your entire degree rests on your doctoral thesis the pressure to do everything as well as possible mounts to incredible levels and though there may be brief moments of respite, like the days immediately following the submission of a chapter, the intensity level and stress remains high throughout the entirety of your program.

While there are many negative consequences to high stress, the one that I have found to be the biggest detriment to finishing a PhD is depression.

I am going to be painfully transparent here.  I have wrestled with occasional bouts of depression ever since I started my PhD program.  It is easy, when everything rides on one project to begin questioning.  What if my work isn’t original enough?  What if I am not a good enough writer?  What if I get stuck or find out that my goals are unachievable?  What if I am not good enough to get a PhD?  What if I fail my defense? What if they find out that I am really a fraud and have no business in this degree?  What if I fail?  What if I let down my family?  What if their sacrifice has all been for nothing?

This self-questioning can very easily lead to bouts of depression and anxiety, and these things are only compounded by the vast amounts of time spent in solitude.  Though I occasionally go through this myself, there is only one remedy that I have found that draws me out of it.  No matter what your family and friends say, you will always question yourself in a situation like this until you begin to remember.

Remember.  Your worth does not lay in your ability to earn a PhD.  God loves you and considers you of such great worth that he sent his only son, Jesus, to die for you. Remember. Your family loved you before you began a PhD, and they will love you after you are finished. Remember. You had what it takes to get into the PhD program int he first place.  The administrators and professors of your school believe that you have what it takes to succeed or they would not have admitted you.  It it in their best interest to help you succeed.  Remember. Tomorrow brings a new day. Remember. Your family and service to the Lord are more important that your degree. Remember.

In remembering, you will find freedom from anxiety and depression.  Don’t be discouraged.  Just remember.

Getting a PhD will test your courage

Only the arrogant fail to realize what a privilege and responsibility it is to earn a PhD.  For the rest of us, who don’t believe we are God’s gift to the academic world, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to begin on a path that requires such great personal and family sacrifice, that tests our abilities and perseverance, and comes with the possibility of failure (though statistically speaking, most students who begin a PhD will complete it unless they quit.  Students are rarely kicked out or simply fail once they begin).

It also takes courage to announce that you are undertaking something that is looked on by the world with equal amounts of fascination and disdain.  I have often hesitated to tell people that I am a PhD student in theology, because they immediately begin to act weird around me.  Often upon finding out what I do, people begin to use larger words in conversation and try to vainly talk about topics they think are related to what I do, especially of a spiritual or religious nature.  I can’t count the number of times I have heard someone say to me, ‘well, I’m no PhD, but . . .’  It can be a significant barrier to real conversation.

Announcing that you are pursuing a PhD also carries with it the inherent ‘expert syndrome’, where everyone begins to assume that you must be an expert on everything if you are ‘smart enough to get a PhD’.  Some will begin to admire you for knowledge that you don’t possess and expect you to be able to speak intelligently about every topic, while others will loathe you for being a ‘know-it-all’.  I recently had a good friend look at me when I couldn’t figure out something simple about a car door and exclaim, ‘You’re getting a PhD for cryin’ out loud!’ To which I responded, ‘In theology!  Which means that I know a lot about a very narrow group of things.’

While the above scenario was hilarious at the time, it takes courage to daily interact with people who don’t really know what a PhD represents, and who either expect too much from you (and are sorely disappointed when you can’t deliver) or loathe your because they presume you are a know-it-all.

Getting a PhD (in Bible or theology) is a calling

If there is one thing more important than everything else that I have said so far it is this: getting a PhD in a biblical discipline is a calling.  It is not something that you should undertake unless you are certain that God is leading you in that direction.  The path to a terminal degree is fraught with challenge, danger, and sacrifice, and all of this is undertaken in vain if it is not where God has called you to be equipped.

Remember that scripture cautions all Christians about this:

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)

While other terminal degrees in other disciplines may be a simple matter of career choice, choosing to pursue a PhD in a biblical discipline is a calling by God to a vocation of teaching the word.  It should only be undertaken with the utmost humility and discipline.

If you do undertake the challenge of a PhD in this way I am sure that you will find, as I have, that it is worth all of the sacrifice and challenge, and rather than turning you into a person that your family loathes to be around, it will be a transforming experience that God uses to shape you into the image of his son, my savior, Jesus Christ.

Theodicy and the Death of Osama bin Laden

As everyone in the world with access to a television now knows, U.S. President Barack Obama announced last night that terrorist and Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was shot and killed in a military operation conducted by U.S. special forces.

Nationally (for the U.S. and her allies), this event carries tremendous weight in the war on terror.  This will be considered a great victory by many, will strengthen the position of the U.S. in the region, and will cause turmoil in the Al Qaeda ranks.

Politically, this event is huge for President Obama, who was careful to note in his speech last night that all intelligence operations and military actions resulting in bin Laben’s death occurred by his order under his direct supervision.  The not-so-subtle suggestion will be that Obama has succeeded where predecessors have failed.

Internationally, the death of bin Laden will encourage allies to continue working with the U.S. military as they continue to operate in the middle-east.  Enemies of peace in the region will take note that even top leaders cannot hide forever.  But ultimately, things will likely remain much the same as they have been, especially in regions where the news will spread slowly and may be dismissed as psychological warfare.

How, then, has this news been received by Christians?  I can only speak of the response I see from American Christians, since this is my context, though I would venture to guess from past experience that the response is very similar around the world. While opinions are certainly varied, there does seem to be a front-runner when it comes to Christian responses to bin Laden’s demise.  More than anything else, Christians seem to be viewing this event in terms of Theodicy.

For those who don’t spend their time sifting through theological treatises, theodicy is most simply defined as:

The vindication of the goodness of God in the face of the existence of evil.

This term is also used for the branch of Christian theology concerned with defending the attributes of God from objections derived from the existence of moral and physical evil in the world.

Some Christians (and indeed many non-believers who might be called ‘theists’) seem to be viewing bin Laden’s death, in some sense, as a vindication of God’s justice.  According to this view, his death is an example of the cost or punishment for evil works.  It shows that ‘good’ ultimately wins out.  It engenders feelings of pride and excitement that ‘we’ are ‘winning’.

But is this response really a ‘Christian’ one?  Is this how we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, ought to view the death of an evil man?

My good friend Ben Howard posted a couple verses of scripture to Facebook this morning that speak to this discussion.

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18)

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:44-45a)

Does that sound like the talk you have heard today regarding the death of bin Laden and the ‘war on terror’?

You see, as Christians, we are called to view the happenings of this world through a different lens; one of grace, mercy, and hope.  We are called to love the unlovable, to pray for our enemies.  But why?  Is this just some mushy dumbed down version of the social gospel we are talking about here?

Let’s view that second scripture passage from Matthew 5 in its context:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

God is holy; he is a righteous judge who abhors evil.  And at the end of all things, when Christ returns, he will judged the righteous and the wicked, and scripture tells us that the wicked will suffer eternal torment, separated from God for their sin and rebellion (sorry Rob Bell).  We also know from scripture that God does sometimes act to bring temporal judgment on the wicked.  We see this time and again in the Old Testament (Egypt, Sodom, the Canaanites, etc – even Israel, when she turns from Him).

But here is the thing.  These works of judgment and retribution, justice and punishment don’t belong to human beings.  They belong to God.  They belong to Jesus Christ.  They do not belong to people.

As Christians, we are called to live in the light of the abundant grace and mercy that God has offered us through the cross of Jesus.  We are called to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of man.  We are called to recognize that, while God is a just judge, he is also a loving Father.  We are called to recognize that it is God who will judge the wicked, not us.

We are called to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect.  We are called to be perfect in our love.

So, then, what should our response be to the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed?  If we live in the light of God’s mercy and grace, as those who live not for the present, but for the hope of future glory, then I think our response should be one of profound sadness.  I believe that it grieves the heart of God when even one person dies in sin.

While I do believe that God sometimes acts to remove the wicked from power (think Pharaoh), this should not be viewed as a cause for celebration, for God does not celebrate the loss of his creation.  Rather, we should pray for peace, we should pray for those who have had to take life and for those who have lost life, and though it goes against every fiber of our being at times, we should pray for our enemies, that they might come to know the loving grace and mercy of our heavenly Father, and so that we might not sin by rejoicing in death, even the death of a wicked man.

If you remain unconvinced, think on this:  what would have happened if Osama bin Laden had repented of his sins and become a disciple of Jesus Christ?  What if all it would take for this to occur is the prayer of the faithful on his behalf?

Peace in the Storm

Storms rip across South, killing at least 173

That’s the CNN headline this morning, following a night of devastating storms and tornadoes that decimated regions of Alabama and four other states in the South (Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Georgia).  The official number of deaths has reached 194 as of the writing of this post, with more sure to come in the next few hours.

Now that the storms have passed and the light of day has revealed the destruction, the fear of last night’s events will slowly be replaced with feelings of dread, mourning, despair for those who have lost loved ones and possessions, feelings of gratitude and relief for those who escaped harm.  As news crews move in to capitalize on the crisis, articles covering the event begin with eye-witness accounts and declarations of awe at nature’s power, leading off their stories with quotes like, “I don’t know how anyone survived”.

This spring has already brought with it the worst storm systems that I can remember in the last 10 years.  As a resident of south-central Kentucky, I am accustomed to seasons filled with heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes that often seem to hit in the middle of the night when families are home in bed, unaware of the threat that looms large on the horizon.  I’ve even been through a disputed tornado that hit my childhood hometown of Morehead, KY in the 90′s.  Yet nothing I have witnessed compares to the devastation that we have seen this year across the globe, the result of earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, and more.  These are just the natural phenomena.  We haven’t even mentioned the effects of war, genocide, the atrocities that humans have brought on ourselves this year.  And the year has only just begun.

What, then, is our response to such turmoil and the fear that it inspires?  How are Christians called to react in times of crisis? And perhaps more importantly, where is God in all of this?  Does he even care about what is happening, and if so, why hasn’t he done something to end the destruction, the loss of life, the despair?

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 and 2 that God created all things and saw them as good.  All things worked together in harmony, and humans were created as stewards to govern and care for God’s creation.  God gave humanity freedom to enjoy all of the good things that he created, with one exception.  They were forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The consequence for doing so was death, experience both as physical death of the body and spiritual death through separation from God.

In an act of rebellion, Adam ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and sin entered the world.  Adam, Eve, and all of their descendants (us) were subjected to physical decay resulting in death and became separated from loving union with God.  As a consequence, the whole creation, which rested under the care of humanity, suffered a devastating blow.  The harmony of life was broken.

God, who is holy and righteous and just, required satisfaction for the disobedience of Adam in the form of a blood sacrifice. God, who is loving, full of mercy and grace, provided that satisfaction through the obedience of his Son.  The third person of the Trinity, God himself, became incarnate as a man, Jesus of Nazareth.  He lived in sinless obedience to the will of the Father and suffered death on a cross to reconcile the world to God, through his blood sacrifice.  Had this been the end of the story, death would still reign; but this is not the end of the story.  On the third day, Jesus rose bodily from the grave, resurrected by the power of God.  Death entered the world through Adam, but Jesus overcame death through the cross (Romans 5:12-21), reconciling lost humanity to God. The consequence of sin is death, but God’s gift through the sacrifice of Jesus is eternal life (Romans 6:23).

You see, God does care about the plight of the world.  He cares so much, in fact, that he sent his own Son as a sacrifice to bring redemption to a world of humans who have rejected him and turned away from him.  God may, and sometimes does, act supernaturally in the world for the sake of humanity.  But he has already acted through the cross in such a way that he has won a decisive victory over sin and death.  He was already at work before the first storm hit the earth, and his work is as efficacious (effective) today as it was then.  Where is God in all of this? He is acting, as he has from before the foundation of the world, reconciling all creation to himself (1 Peter 1:20).

So then, why is everything in the world still so messed up?

While the penalty for sin has been paid by the blood of Jesus, the effects of sin remain in the world until his return.  Creation still suffers for Adams sin and people still succumb to the temptations of sin, until they find freedom through belief in Jesus.   The apostle Paul tells us that the whole creation groans as though in the pains of childbirth as it waits for humans to take their place as adopted children of God (Romans 8:22).

We live in the land-between, the time of already and not-yet.  Jesus Christ has come and has reconciled humanity to God.  Through faith in his sacrifice (a faith given by God through his grace), we will share in his resurrection.  But that resurrection and the restoration of all creation is a future hope as we look forward, watching and waiting for Jesus’ return.

In the land-between there is temporal suffering.  War, famine, natural and man-made disasters still occur.  Fear is still present.  But none of these things reign.  Jesus Christ reigns!  And as we await the return of the Lord of Hosts, we have an obligation to remember our place as the adopted heirs of God.

In the midst of turmoil, destruction, fear, and physical death, Christians have a responsibility to spread the love of God liberally among the hurting, devastated citizens of our world until they respond to the love and blood of Jesus, becoming citizens of Heaven.

When storms break through the peace and serenity of our lives, Christians are called to live in the peace of Christ; the peace that can come only from the knowledge that we are adopted children of God, beloved of the Father.  This peace is not grounded in temporary things which are here one minute and gone the next.  This peace is grounded in the hope of the resurrection, when Jesus returns to make all things new.

Remember the words of Paul from Romans 8:18-24:

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.24 For in this hope we were saved.

It is only when we live in the light of the Resurrection that we can overcome fear and despair in times of trial and spread the love of God to the world.

Are you ready?  Do you have the hope and peace of Christ?  Have you experienced calm in the storm of life?

Let us live as Resurrection people, the people of promise, the people of hope.  Let us pray for those hurting after last night’s storms.  Let us pray for peace in the world.  Above all, let us pray for the peace of Christ as we act on his behalf in the midst of the storm.

Pax Christi

Evangelistic Hearts

Anyone who has read this blog for a while will notice how often I talk about the lessons of parenthood.  My children are two of the greatest teachers of what it means to love Jesus, and I am often humbled by the lessons I learn from them.

Last night, as we were sitting down to supper, my son (2 1/2) was playing with his favorite cup, which was filled with milk at the time.  I have to admit that this particular cup is pretty awesome.  It is shapes like a cone filter with bright colorful pictures of Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie Cars on it.  At the base of the funnel is a clear ball that spins when you play with it, and inside the ball is a tiny little replica of the Lightning McQueen car.

My son loves this cup!  He loves it so much, in fact, that last night at the dinner table he began to tell the little Lightning McQueen about Jesus.  At first I thought he was singing Jesus Loves Me, which would have been astounding enough (I’ve not heard him sing it so clearly before), but then I realized that he was talking to the car, saying “Jesus loves you.”

Fast forward to this morning.  As I was prepping some things for the day in our kitchen, my daughter (almost 5) wandered past with Sarah (my wife) and said to her, “If we don’t praise God, even the rocks and the wind will praise Him.”  It was a very simple, yet profound rephrasing of Luke 19:39-40.

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

 

Through my children, I am beginning to understand more and more what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 18:

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child and had him stand among them.3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

I have heard it said many times that Jesus is here indicating that we must have a child-like faith in that it is unquestioning, non-judging.  I don’t think this understanding does justice to the faith of children, who, while trusting, are also very discerning.

When I read this passage now, what I understand Jesus to be saying is that we must all become like children in that our faith cultivates in us a focused enjoyment of God and a sure trust in Him, not based on a non-judging, whimsical hope, but founded on a confidence that God loves us and draws us to himself.  It is a faith that cannot remain self-referenced.  It is a faith directed toward God, and as a direct consequence it is a faith that cannot help but pour out love upon those around us.

My children understand that Jesus loves them.  Their response is an unrelenting love in return; a love that doesn’t stop with God-talk, though there is plenty of that in our household (praise God), but continues into a sharing of that loving relationship with others through evangelism and proclamation.

Before anyone begins to dissect this too much and begin quoting evangelism strategies to me, let me say this.  Evangelism is telling others about the Good News of Jesus Christ, plain and simple.  It implies proclamation of the Word, which is the witness of God’s mighty acts in Christ.  When children tell others that Jesus  loves them and quote Bible verses like they are a natural part of their vocabulary (something I wish I did more often), they are engaging in one of the purest forms of evangelism there is.  They are sharing their evangelistic hearts, transformed by a loving God.

Would that we all learn to live with the faith of little children.

Trinitarian Unity and the Cross of Christ

This morning on the Kentucky campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, Dr. Marva Dawn spoke in a chapel service as part of the Theta Phi honor society lecture series.  As the lecture unfolded, Dr. Dawn took a brief turn to speak about sin and the Cross of Christ.  Normally I would support such an aside at any and every opportunity.  However, today I was shocked at what was said.  Not suggested, but spoken and emphasized.

When reflecting on Jesus’ words on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), Dawn stated, “On the cross there was a split in the Trinity, when Father forsook Son.” (paraphrased).  The then went on to emphasize this statement through repetition, saying again that the Trinity was divided at that moment.

Now, I want to preface what comes next by first stating that Dr. Dawn is usually quite orthodox in her theology, from what I understand, and is a devoted Christian worthy of our respect and grace.

However, in this case, what Dr. Dawn said falls far outside the witness of Scripture and Christian tradition, and has serious implications (both theologically and practically) that should not be ignored.

Scripture

The first, and most significant objection I have to Dr. Dawn’s statement is that it rejects the teaching of scripture by saying that the Father rejected the Son while he carried the burden of sin.  Romans 5:8-10 says:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Scripture is clear that it is in our deepest need, when we are immersed in sin and enemies, that God reaches into the muck of life, the putrescence of fallen creation, pulls us up, and embraces us as his children.  He never turns his back on us, never gives up in his loving pursuit.  God is in the business of saving sinners, and it is precisely because he will not turn his back on sinners that he sent his Son Jesus to die for us on the cross.

Even before this even, Christ taught his disciples about this truth in his parables of the lost sheep and prodigal son.  This message of love and hope is central to the Gospel.

Christian Tradition

My good friend, and fellow PhD student, Jeffrey Rudy has given a very helpful response to this issue from the perspective of the church fathers on his blog.  I have copied some of his post below, but please visit him for the full text of his comments:

Athanasius: For behold when He says, “Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” the Father shewed that He was ever and even then in Him; for the earth knowing its Lord who spoke, straightway trembled, and the vail was rent…then seeing these signs, [the centurion] confessed that “truly He was the Son of God.”

The confession from a Roman centurion, no less, that recognizes the closeness between Jesus and God to such a degree that he proclaims that Jesus was God’s Son is far from any notion that the Son and the Father were split at the cross.

Chrysostom: That darkness [at the cross] was a token of the Father’s anger at their [the crowd's] crime…He saith, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” that unto His last breath they might see that He honors His Father, and is no adversary of God…and by all things, He shows how He is of one mind with Him that begat Him.

Implications

The implications of this idea of fractured Trinity are many and varied.  I would like to point out just a couple of the more serious ones.

First, this idea denies the ontological Trinity, which is the understanding that before creation and time the Godhead (Father, Son, and Spirit) eternally existed in other-loving relationship in which this love is expressed in unity of the will. This will may originate with the Father, but it is ratified by Son and Spirit.  It is precisely this unified will that Jesus expresses in John 14:24 and elsewhere. Without this unified will, there is no true equality among the members of the Trinity, rather we would have a Godhead whose members are not all omnipotent, since one would have to exert their will upon the others forcefully in order for Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection to occur.

Second, this idea has devastating implications for the preaching of the Gospel.  The very thing that gives hope to sinners is the knowledge that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners.  This is not a turning away from the sinner, but an offer of  welcome to the sinner that, through the power of Jesus’ blood, we can be cleansed from all unrighteousness, and through the power of his resurrection, we can move from death into life.

If, instead of this, we begin to preach that God turned away from Jesus because of his sin, where is our hope?  If God rejected his own Son, a member of the Trinity, because of sin he must necessarily reject me because of my sin.  There can be no hope for restoration.

The Problem as I See It

The modern church has done a terrible job of interpreting Jesus’ words on the cross.  This particular issue that the Trinity was fractured is merely another symptom of poor exegesis.  The real problem, as friend, pastor, and fellow PhD student Matt O’Reilly stated to me earlier is that the church has lately been approaching the issue of “forsakenness” in absolute terms.

When we read Jesus’ words, “Why have you forsaken me?” we have been interpreting this as Jesus being forsaken absolutely, ontologically (in his being).  What we should be asking ourselves is: might this mean that he was forsaken to the cross, to sin, to temporal death, to humiliation? Perhaps Jesus’ question was open-ended, precisely because he suffered so greatly and no one thing to which he had been “forsaken” could be pinpointed.  Yet despite his suffering, Jesus trusts the Father and honors him.  His will remains unified with that of the Father and Spirit.

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

He maintained a sure trust and confidence in the Father and a unity of will that he had already expressed in the garden when he prayed:

“Not my will, but yours be done.” (Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42)

So, was the Trinity divided or fractured when Christ bore the burden of sin on the cross, as Marva Dawn suggests?  Did God really turn away from Jesus, rejecting him in his greatest moment of need?

If this is true, than we are to be most pitied, for we are fools and there is no hope for the lost, no solace for sinners.

But no, Yahweh is a holy God who loves us in spite of our sin:

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:8-10)

Thanks be to God!